Kohl’s recognized for efforts to promote clean air

Menomonee Falls, Wis. Kohl’s Department Stores received the Gregg Cooke Visionary Program Award at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Clean Air Excellence Awards Program ceremony held Wednesday night in Washington, D.C. The award recognizes Kohl’s for environmental excellence in multiple Clean Air Excellence Award Program categories, including clean air technology, community action and transportation efficiency.

“Initiatives like solar power, support of clean energy sources and moving merchandise by rail are win-win -- they make sense from a business, cost and efficiency perspective and help to reduce emissions in the long-term,” said Ken Bonning, Kohl’s executive VP store planning and logistics.

Kohl’s initiatives that contribute to clean air include a commitment to renewable energy. The chain is ranked first in retail and No. 2 overall among EPA’s top green power purchasers, and 100% of its purchased electricity usage comes from renewable-energy resources through its industry-leading solar program and by purchasing renewable-energy certificates. The company also works annually to complete lighting upgrades, retrofitting more than 700 stores in 2009 with metal halide spotlights that use a third of the energy of incandescent spotlights.

In addition, all remodeled Kohl’s stores receive upgraded, more energy efficient lighting fixtures that produce even more light than the old fixtures.